Dubai's Xeritown Has Eco-City Aspirations, Too

The task of building an entire city from scratch isn’t novel in Dubai — it seems there’s a new city announcement every half year or so. Xeritown is one of the latest that I’ve learned about and it’s planned for Dubailand. The idea behind the 60-acre city is that it will be designed to accommodate the elements of the desert rather than overcome them. The form of the city follows a north-south axis to take advantage of the cool breeze coming in from the sea. The buildings, rather than artificial and water intense landscaping, provide shading and structure.

By X-Architects and SMAQ, Xeritown was designed, first, with the environment in mind and, second, with environmental attributes. Flat circles will hang over street walkways and photovoltaics will be placed on the circles to collect solar energy. A major aim of the project will also be to conserve ecological resources such as water, soil, flora, and fauna.

The city will only have two lanes for vehicles, so mass transportation will be the major mode of movement for inhabitants. Looking at the images below, you can imagine a realistic Xeritown with walkable, lively streets and people meandering among cafes, shops, shade, and benches.